Williams and Padrón.
Gabe Beckwith | Student Activities Board

Q. What was your reaction to being nominated?

Padrón: I was really surprised! I was not expecting to be nominated, and I had kind of forgotten that there was a president’s ball court. 

Williams: I’ve been told that I have a very public presence on campus. Being nominated forced me to look back on how faithful God has been to me over the last four years even when I wasn’t as faithful to him. He’s given me amazing friends and such a rich community in Simpson to be a part of, and I’m so grateful.

 

Q. What is your favorite Hillsdale memory?

Padrón: Hosting brunch at Dow House on Sundays.

Williams: When I was a sophomore, my best friends and I had the crazy idea that we could get all our Simpson guys to dress in costumes and script out WWE fake wrestling fights, and we could build a wrestling ring and put on a show with professor cameos in the Simpson courtyard. I remember moments before we first did it, my friends and I thought nobody would show up and that it would be a failure. Then we walked out to the courtyard and there were 250 people from all parts of campus. It became such a hit and such a unifying campus event that is now something that Simpson looks forward to every year. I can’t wait to do it one more time with my favorite professor, Dr. Jackson. April 18. Mark your calendars.

 

Q. If there is one thing you could tell your freshman self, what would it be?

Padrón: Sleep more, wear more layers.

Williams: Ask for help more often and sooner. I didn’t really start utilizing the Health Center counseling services, Father Adam’s direction, Career Services, or Academic Services until my senior year. That was such a mistake. It might surprise people that my freshman year was actually a time of very deep emotional and spiritual struggle. College just didn’t start the way I had hoped, and the beginning was a time where I felt very alone and lost. There were some really rough and dark days, and I really had no idea what senior year would be like and whether it would still feel the same way. If you had told me in those moments that I would one day be on the President’s Ball Court, I just wouldn’t have believed you. Like it just wasn’t a possibility in my mind. Things don’t have to be at a crisis point to ask for help from these people — they’re all here to help for any questions you have, and they’re all rock stars. I love how Hillsdale cultivates a sense of humility where asking for assistance isn’t viewed as weakness. Instead, the act of asking for help is a sign of strength and the desire to grow.

 

Q. If you could do Hillsdale all over again, what is something you would do that you didn’t?

Padrón: I would get involved in the Student Ministries Board. I love what they do, and I kind of missed them until now.

Williams: First is to take more classes in areas of weakness for me. I [also] wish I would’ve tried to take instrument lessons or join a club that would have forced me to learn something new. College is the absolute perfect time to try new things, and sometimes I feel like I stayed in my comfort zone too much. 

 

Q: What was your reaction to your name being announced as king/queen?

Padrón: My first reaction was shock followed by, “What do I do now? Should I wave?” 

Williams: My girlfriend in the front row and a bunch of Simpson guys also up close to the stage kept pointing at the back of Dr. Arnn’s sheet and looking at me, so I was starting to figure out that my name was written on the other side. So, when my name was announced, I wasn’t totally surprised in the immediate moment. Then I looked down and saw Mrs. Arnn and thought, “I hope last year’s king, Zach Ponraj, doesn’t show me up on the dance floor.” In all seriousness, my heart was full of such immense gratitude.

 

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

Padrón: I am staying in Hillsdale. I will be doing the master’s in classical education, and I will be the house director of Kirn Residence.

Williams: Being an RA in Simpson for three years has shown me that I have a deep passion for helping young men with emotional struggles. So many people here have helped me with my struggles, and I want to give back in that area. So I am planning on pursuing a career in clinical counseling, but I would like to take a short hiatus from academics and work for a nonprofit before pursuing graduate school. I have a couple of favorite contenders right now but we’ll see — I’d love to live in a bigger city with Hillsdale friends. D.C. would be an awesome spot because I’m a die hard D.C. sports fan. And, of course, I have to come back and watch Simpson continue its legendary Homecoming streak for four years in a row next fall.